Carte de séjour in France: ministry lists documents

Confusion continues about what documents are needed to apply for a carte de séjour as a British person living in France.

This morning, the French Interior Ministry has sent a list of documents to The Connexion (on our request) of exactly what paperwork prefectures may request for carte de séjour applications. It says the prefectures have been informed to keep to this list.

It comes as the British Ambassador to France, Lord Ed Llwellyn, told Connexion in an interview: “We would encourage eligible UK nationals to prepare your papers (bank statements, statements of household bills etc) to demonstrate your continued residency in France and to apply for a carte de séjour.”

Connexion asked the Direction Générale des Etrangers en France (DGEF), the part of the ministry dealing with foreign residents in France, if they can confirm they are advising Britons to apply for cartes so as to avoid a peak in demand after Brexit, as told to Connexion by campaigners recently.

A DGEF spokesman said: “Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, the Interior Ministry will prioritise solutions which allow us to avoid a rush of British people to the prefectures concentrated over a short period of time”.

They also confirmed that the ministry reminded prefectures in March this year of Britons’ rights to apply for the cards and has sent them a standardised list of documents that they may ask for, asking them to “stick to this list”.

It has been agreed in the Brexit negotiations so far that those already holding a ‘permanent stay’ EU citizen carte de séjour may exchange it in a simple process if it is necessary for Britons in France after Brexit (or the transition period) to hold a different kind of card.

A full interview with the ambassador and more information about cartes de séjour is covered in our new 96-page helpguide Brexit and Britons in France, available at our website (print or pdf version) at this link, priced €12,50 plus P&P, or in selected newsagents in France from next week.